Our Evergrowing Family

Love her smile

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:52:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:07:00 +0000

Xia-Xia Pet Party (and a giveaway!) - CLOSED

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:32:00 +0000

*image from Xia-Xia Pets website

Thanks to MomSelect, I was able to participate in a Xia-Xia pet party for Belle. We were sent some Xia-Xia's, some extra shells, candy, and eggs to have an Easter egg hunt/party.

She had a great time! For those that don't know, Xia-Xia's are little motorized crabs that have interchangeable shells. They are actually a lot cuter and more fun than I expected. They are similar to Zhu-Zhu pets (in fact, they are from the same company), but I love how tiny they are. I know that Toys R Us is having a buy one get one free sale on them right now until April 7. I think the only drawback to the toys is that they only have four of them out, but they do have many different shells that you can purchase, and each shell comes with two little friends inside.

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For the giveaway, they have offered to send the winner a basket, which includes either a new Xia-Xia hermit crab character, Helena, the lime green and pink cutie, or Tiwi, the pink and purple wack crab, an additional shell, and some candy.

*image from Xia-Xia Pets website

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling me what your favorite shell from their website. Personally, mine is the purple sparkly shell (0051). Good luck! (Edited to add that the giveaway will end Friday, April 6, at noon.)

*For my participation for an honest review, I was given four crabs and extra shells and candy, all provided by MomSelect. All Xia-Xia pictures are from the Xia-Xia Pets website. All words are my own.

Christmas time

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:53:00 +0000

*For some reason, the pictures uploaded in the opposite order. So, it goes Christmas night, Christmas day, Christmas Eve, and December 22.*

What Christmas wouldn't be complete without a tantrum?

So excited!

Yeah, Addy just doesn't stay still anymore. Makes it hard to get a photo of all four of them.

I think she had that face in every picture I took of her opening a present. :)

Needing a little help opening up her gifts. She just didn't have any interest in opening them.

The only full length picture I got of Addy all dressed up. (And don't worry, an adult was right there.)

Grahm wearing Daddy's old Broncos sweatshirt. Belle used to wear it, and Grahm will have to give it up soon for Casey. I'm hoping it will hold up long enough for Addy to wear it too.

Despite being sick, he sure enjoyed opening presents.

For their Christmas concert, the younger grades all had an individual speaking part and a few songs. Personally, I enjoy Christmas concerts with all songs, but it was still cute.

Belle was upset that he was shooting and not standing still.

Grahm was not happy being told what to do.

Deep down, they do love each other. :)

Thank You, God, For Blessing Me By Max Lucado

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

Thanks to BookSneeze, I was given the opportunity to review the e-book Thank You, God, For Blessing Me by Max Lucado (which you can purchase from Amazon here). Here is a little description from the BookSneeze website:

"Meet Little Hermie—the cutest baby caterpillar in the garden! Little Hermie’s thankful heart shows toddlers how to be thankful for God’s blessings.

Little Hermie is thankful for everything God has given him. He goes through his day thanking God for his many blessings in this adorable board book with flocking on the cover!

With over 5.5 million brands units sold, the new Little Hermie books open the wonderful world of the Hermie & Friends garden to an entirely new audience."

The pictures were colorful and cute, and the message was simple...being thankful for the big and little things that are provided in life. The only con to the book is how incredibly short it is! I wouldn't want to spend more than $1.99 for an e-book version of it. But despite being really short, it has been read quite often at our house. The upside to it being short is that my 18 month old will actually stay still long enough to finish it. And my 6 year old even enjoyed it, which surprised me because I thought she would find it boring. It made for a good discussion after reading it though. I hope that they continue on with the Little Hermie series because it is quite cute.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:52:00 +0000

Because really, I think the finger up the nose is worth a thousand words. :)

Casey's turn :)

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:20:00 +0000

*Staying busy while I was making lunch :)

*He wasn't very happy that I woke him up...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:03:00 +0000

Mabel's Labels Review

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:26:00 +0000

Thanks to Global Influence and Mabel's Labels, I was given the Back to School Combo to review for my preschooler. I ordered the pirate skull icon, and Grahm loves them! It was just a little something extra to make school fun for him to see that everyday (he loves pirates right now).

I put the shoe labels on his gym shoes, which stay at school, so I know if he ever misplaced them they would get returned to him. The labels are waterproof and extra tough, so I feel confident that they won't wear off.

I also put the tag mates on his extra pair of clothes that stay at school. I love how quick and easy they are to peel off and stick. They do make an iron on label, but it's so much less time consuming using the stickers. They are washer and dryer safe, so I won't have to keep replacing the labels.

I have more ease of mind with his things having a label on them. Also, it helps him know which item is his if another child has the same thing, especially when winter comes around and it seems like kids wear either pink or black snowsuits and gloves. I haven't had a chance to label everything I would like (September 1st snuck up on me!), but I'm looking forward to labeling more of his clothes and shoes, as well as his water bottle and food containers for lunch.

Mabel's Labels also sell labels for grown ups too. They have household labels and stationery products. My favorites are their big labels for trashcans and recycle bins, their cord control labels (this would be so handy in our home!), and their fully customizable labels for totes.

Their customer service is really friendly and helpful. When I had a problem with my order, they fixed it right away. They definitely stand by their satisfaction guarantee!

*I was given this product from Mabel's Labels (which I heard about through an email from Global Influence) free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All images courtesy of Mabel's Labels.

Day at the Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:49:00 +0000

The kids were invited to a birthday party at the local beach on Friday. We had never been there before, but will hopefully get the chance to go again a couple more times this year. It was a lot nicer than I was expecting, and the playground was wonderful! It was fenced in and it had a nice soft ground (no wood chips!) so I wasn't worried about Casey tripping and getting scratched up. Addy didn't seem to mind the sand, but the water was not the highlight of the day for her. She likes to take baths, so I don't know why she didn't like sitting in the water. Belle loved collecting all the empty shells and burying her feet in sand. Our sandbox only has about an inch or so of sand left in it, but that's only because the kids keep taking it out and putting it in various spots in the yard and on our deck. Grahm was right there next to Addy when she cried and tried to comfort her. He is always looking out for her. Casey spent equal amounts of time in and out of the water. At first he was a little scared to go in, but by the end he was getting a little too brave. They all behaved really well while we were there (except for Casey trying to blow the candles out), and it was almost relaxing with the four of them!

still here...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 02:25:00 +0000

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last blog post! Yikes!

I love how Addy always wakes up with a smile, even when I'm the one waking her from a heavy sleep during naptime. The only time she really cries is if Casey takes one of her toys away. (He doesn't share very well. Definitely have to work on that more!)

We went to a model train open house over the weekend. The kids really enjoyed it, as did I. They had quite an elaborate setup and the guys were all very friendly and happy to answer any question and tell you all about their trains and why they chose a certain one.

Seeing Henry was definitely the highlight for Casey. The kid who owned it even ran it just for him. He loved watching it go through the tunnels.

Chris took the older two fishing after the open house, and while Addy was napping I spent some one on one time with Casey. He loves the sprinkler more than any of the other kids, that's for sure.

Grahm, while he still loves Transformers and Star Wars, he's getting into Pirates of the Caribbean now too. He now runs through the house pretending he's Jack Sparrow and loves to "draw" pirate ships.

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:36:00 +0000

Belle loves to put clips on her hairbands. The most I have ever counted at one time is twelve.

Grahm loves his Star Wars Legos.

Belle getting to sleep on her top bunk for the first time.

Enjoying the nice weather before it rained.

Addy in the crawling stance.

After thinking about it, she changed her mind.

And then decided to roll around instead.

And chew on her toes.

I don't know why Casey is chewing on his toes. :)

Bathtime Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:56:00 +0000

...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:29:00 +0000

All About Addy

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:21:00 +0000

(Since I've taken so many pictures since I last posted ages ago, I thought I would focus on one child at a time so I don't overwhelm myself. And even then, I'm probably only showing about 5% of the pictures I've taken.)

Addy is definitely loved by her brothers and sister, there is no doubt about that. Isabelle and Grahm are a big help to me and will entertain her when she gets fussy and I can't get to her right away. Casey, while he helps me by throwing the dirty diapers away, kisses her at random times during the day and for no particular reason. He'll just go up to her, kiss her, and then walk away.

She got baptised a couple weeks ago and slept through most of it. She was absolutely perfect when she was awake too.

Definitely going through a teething stage, I believe.

Just this past weekend, we moved her from her bassinet into her crib. When she stretched out in her bassinet, her feet and head would almost touch the sides. Since moving her into her crib, she sleeps sprawled out now and not all scrunched up like she used to.

She joined her cousin Mason in celebrating their first Thanksgiving together. As you can see, they were pretty thrilled about it.

Her tiny toes just barely touch the floor when she's in her jumperoo. For now, she just kind of chills out in it and chews on the cloth seat.

So that's about it in a nutshell. Kept it short and sweet. *grin*

first photoshoot

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:12:00 +0000

Since I keep getting asked by multiple people when I'm going to post the pictures I took of Merranda's little guy, ask no more! I was nervous, but I had a lot of fun. He was feeling a little under the weather, but he sure lit up for his brother when he was around! It is definitely a lot different taking pictures for someone else since I'm limited by time. When I do a photoshoot for my kids, it usually spans a few days because I keep trying to get the right shot, or I want to do a clothes change but know that they are already getting fed up with the picture taking. Little O was quite a trooper and handled all the changes very well when we moved him from place to place.

{Thanks again, Merranda, for letting me take pictures of your little guy! I really appreciate it!}

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 01:33:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:38:00 +0000

Addyson's first time in the hot tub.

catch-up post

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 21:41:00 +0000

I, for one, am happy that it's Friday. I am looking forward to some relaxation and some normal time. After Belle got sick with a fever, Grahm ended up getting the same thing two nights ago and yesterday. I feel so bad when the kids don't feel good. It's no fun being sick. (I just hope we never, ever have a repeat of our summer flu that ran through the house one person at a time. Now that was no fun for anyone. The only person that was spared was Addyson.) While Grahm was zonked out in the middle of the day, Casey took the opportunity to play with no one pestering him. And of course, he had to play on Grahm's bed while he's sleeping on it.

Yesterday, I was outside taking a picture of this really gross and enormous spider.

On my way back in the house, Casey was looking at me. So, I thought I'd take a picture of him since he was looking so cute in his overalls.

Big mistake! After looking at the picture, I realized how disgusting the door is. Now I suppose I'll add that to my to-do list for this weekend. Not that it will probably get done. *grin* However, I'll take this dirty door over this any day! (My dresser is starting to look like that, but I usually get it all cleared off by the end of the weekend/start of the week.)

It's hard to believe Addyson is going to be 3 months old next week! Wow!

Today and tomorrow are supposed to be absolutely gorgeous days with highs in the 80's. It feels like summer outside it is so warm out! The highs will be back into the 60's next week, though, to bring us back to reality that it is fall. But the kids and I took advantage of this warm weather and played outside for a little bit. Addyson was content in her bouncy seat and enjoyed the breeze keeping her cool. (And yes, I realize she's still in her pj's. I don't usually change her clothes unless we're going out somewhere. And even then, sometimes I don't. But I make sure she doesn't wear the same pj's three days in a row because that would be just silly.)

Tomorrow I'm going to be doing my first real photo shoot! (Thanks Merranda for letting me test my skills out on your little guy!) Needless to say, I'm nervous. I'm used to just shooting my kids and other events if I'm there. I've never actually taken the time to shoot for someone else. I'm really hoping for one really great shot, but many would be even better! Wish me luck!

pumpkin painting

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:55:00 +0000

A few nights ago, while at the grocery store with Belle, we had to get some pumpkins. There was no way around it since there was a massive pile of them outside the store, as well as inside. So, being the smart shopper I am, I waited until the end of our trip to get them. And because of my smart thinking (can you sense my sarcasm here?), I had to move all the little grocery items to make room for four pumpkins. What a pain that was.

After making it home without crushing anything, the kids (minus Addy) painted their pumpkins after dinner. Casey had the most fun, I think. He had an ear to ear grin almost the whole time. He just loves to color and paint. It's so cute because he shakes his little arms when he gets so excited. It's quite amusing every time he does it.

The pumpkins are now sitting on our porch, welcoming anyone that comes by to visit. They are quite proud of them and will gladly show them off to anyone willing to listen.

*Chris gets the credit for these photos

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 03:17:00 +0000

I tried to write a somewhat entertaining blog post, but my head cold is making it hard for me to think. So, I'll just post the pictures. (I'm trying to get back into the groove of blogging...baby steps.)

She's getting so big! Yet, she's not growing any hair...

Belle was home sick from school with a high fever.

Addy sporting her daddy's old shirt.

fun with lightroom

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:12:00 +0000

two months, too quick

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:43:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that our little baby girl is now two months old today. I'm not ready for her to grow up yet. Knowing that she is our last little baby, I'm trying to hold her extra tight, but the days still slip by. Having a five, three and a half, and two year old, I know all too well how quickly time goes by. It seems like just yesterday, Addyson was born. She was our biggest baby, weighing in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces.

In these past two months, she has gained over three pounds and looks huge! She isn't a tiny, little newborn anymore. Since she is growing up, her sleeping habits are slowly getting better. Her fussy period used to be from two to four in the morning. During those two hours, you either had to be rocking her or have her in the swing. She still doesn't sleep through the night, but at least when she wakes up in the middle of the night she falls right back to sleep. While I'm still tired, I'm not completely exhausted like I used to be.

I sure am loving every minute with her, and I love watching her siblings give her lots of hugs and kisses. They adore their new baby sister. We have four healthy, happy, and beautiful children and we couldn't be more thrilled about it. All the tired days and nights we've gone through are so worth it for each and every one of them.

First Day of School

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:28:00 +0000

After a busy summer for our family, we sent our oldest off to kindergarten on Wednesday. She had been looking forward to it for the past two weeks and every night she would ask me how many more days until school started. I love that she gets so excited about school and her teachers and her friends.

Her friend, Alex, from next door was walking with his dad to the bus stop while we were taking pictures, so it was difficult to get a photo where she was looking at me. So, I took one of the both of them together.

Since it was the first day and she had a lot of stuff to take to school (because I forgot about the Open House, which was when we were supposed to bring her blanket and what not), I went inside with her to make sure she would adjust alright and to drop her stuff off. Needless to say, she did just fine.

While Belle was at school, the boys and I (and Addyson) took it easy. Minimal cleaning on my part, lots of sleeping on Addy's part, and lots of playing together (nicely, even!) on the boys' part. Grahm spent about 10 minutes teaching Casey how to play "bouncy balls" (which is ironic because they don't bounce), and Casey actually sat and listened to him the whole time.

Until he was aware of me taking pictures and pointed me out...

Overall, it was a pretty good day!

Finally...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:02:00 +0000

Finally, I'm back to blogging after being gone for almost three months. Finally, our newest member of the family is here (with pictures to come soon!). Finally, Belle turned five years old! (Wow, is that possible?!) And finally, everyone in our family is well enough to have a belated birthday party for her. (Poor thing was sick all night/morning the day of her birthday.)

We had a couple of Belle's friends over for her party today...or rather, a play-date with cupcakes, as I like to call it. We put some streamers up, blew up some balloons, had some cupcakes, and a pinata to knock down. Chris also had some water balloons ready for them and the sprinkler was out because it was so incredibly humid today, but at least the sun wasn't out so it wasn't completely unbearable. Belle really enjoyed the special time with her friends.